Refuse receptacle



June 18, 1968 E. SAFFORD REFUSE RECEFTACLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 18, 1966 INVENTOR 8 EARL SAFFORD BY c www ATTORNEYS June 18, 1968 E. SAF'FORD REFUSE RECEPTACLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 18, 1966 FIGS iil un lll in i:

INVENTOR EAR-L SAFFORD ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,388,856 REFUSE RECEPTACLE Earl Safford, Detroit, Mich, assignor of thirty percent to Walter E. Ellis and nineteen percent to Theodore Singleton, both of Detroit, Mich. Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 545,764,

Apr. 27, 1966. This application Get. 18, 1966, Ser- No. 628,173

2 Claims. (Cl. 232-431) This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending patent application, Ser. No. 545,764 filed Apr. 27, 1966, now U.S. Patent 3,298,533 granted Jan. 17, 1967.

The present invention relates to refuse receptacles, including trashcans and garbage cans, and more particularly to an improved means for handling the same.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome many of the well known difiiculties in providing cleanlimess with respect to refuse containers, and to overcome problems of cats, dogs, rats, flies, insects and odor.

It is another object of this invention to provide in a refuse receptacle construction a means by which the individual refuse can is elevated above the ground and which is arranged for easy loading and unloading.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved refuse receptacle by which one or a pair of refuse containers may be supported above the ground level in opposed relation and may be rotated throughout 360 degrees upon such support and wherein manual means are provided for supporting and lifting the container covers and for rotating them out of the Way for loading and unloading of the refuse container.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section of the present refuse container.

FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section taken in the direction of arrows 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section taken in the direction of arrows 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified refuse receptacle.

FIG. 6 is a partly sectioned elevational view thereof.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section taken in the direction of arrows 7--7 of FIG. 5.

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely several preferred embodiments of the invention and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the present refuse receptacle includes within the concrete slab 11 and the ground surface 12 an upright bore 13 within which is nested and secured the upright anchor shaft 14. Said shaft at its upper end terminates in the thrust shoulder 15 and the axially positioned upright spindle 16 of reduced diameter.

Upright tubular support 17 including bore 18 is coaxially mounted upon the said spindle and journalled thereon and includes at its lower end the annular thrust shoulder 19, adapted for cooperative seating registry with respect to the anchor shoulder 15, FIG. 1.

A pair of diametrically arranged bracket arms 20 are secured thereto and project laterally of shoulder 19 and terminate in the substantially semi-circular brackets 21, which mount the circular holders 22 flanged at 23 to define recesses 24.

These recesses are adapted to supportably receive refuse containers R mounting removable covers C with handles The bore 18 within support 17 opens through the upper end of said support and is adapted to movably receive piston 25 including lifter handle 26, at its upper end.

A pair of diametrically opposed laterally extending rods 27 anchored at 28 in piston 25 and extend laterally outward through the upwardly opening first upright slots 29, as shown in FIG. 1, and terminate centrally of the respective cover handle H. The rods 27 positioned within upright opposed slots 29 rest upon the support 17 with the outer ends of the respective rods 27 flexibly and loosely connected by chains 30 to cover handle H as at 31.

Formed within the upper end of the support 17 and preferably arranged at degrees with respect to the first slots 29, are a second pair of opposed elongated upright slots 32. In the illustrative embodiment these slots extend a further distance down into the support 17 and are adapted to guidably and supportably receive the cover supporting rods 27, once the piston 25 has been first elevated with respect to the slots 29 and thereafter rotated 90 degrees by handle 26, so that said rods then register with the opposed second slots 32. By releasing handle 26 the rods 27 are guidably lowered within the opposed second slots 32 until rods 27 rest upon adjacent portions of support 17. The covers may thus be lifted on application of lifter 26 and thereafter rotated approximately 90 degrees out of the way from refuse containers R to permit loading and unloading thereof.

In the present construction a pair of brackets 20 and corresponding rods 27, and slots 29 and 32 are shown. It is contemplated that a single bracket could be employed for mounting a single refuse container.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention on lifting the piston 25 to disengage the rods 27 from support 17, the said covers may be rotated to any desired position through 360 degrees with respect to the corresponding refuse container. Furthermore support 17 itself may be rotated with respect to its anchor shaft 14 to thus position the refuse containers R in any desired radial position through 360 degrees.

Modification A modified trash receptacle assembly which overcomes problems as to vermin and animals is illustrated with respect to FIGURES 5, 6 and 7.

Here there is provided within the ground surface 41 an elongated upright support tube 40, which at its upper end has a cup-shaped thrust washer element 42.

The upright swingpole 44 has a cylindrical portion at its lower end which is supported and journalled within the tube 40 and includes a thrust washer disc 45 which is cooperatively and rotatively mounted and nested within the thrust washer element 42.

Horizontal support arm 46 is fixed upon the upper end of the pole 44 and extends laterally thereof.

The elongated refuse or trash receptacle 47 for refuse or garbage may be of any desired shape, such as cylindrical as shown, and is fixedly, yet removably, anchored as at 48 upon the support arm 46, there being a suitable secondary bracing construction 49 for fixedly anchoring the receptacle 47 in the position shown in FIG. 6.

Trash receptacle 47 includes end wall 50 which is suitably apertured and which mounts the fill door 51, FIGS. 5 and 7, hinged thereto at 53 and including a suitable handle 52.

Suitable spring means are incorporated into the hinges 53 for normally biasing the fill door 51 to the closed position shown.

Trash receptacle 47 also includes the bottom wall portion 55 which is suitably apertured and is closed by the elongated unloading door 56 hinged thereto at 57 and including handle 58 and latch 59 by which the door 56 may be anchored in closed position. Here also suitable resilient means are incorporated within the hinges 57 normally biasing the door 56 to the closed position shown.

Upright fence 43 is mounted upon the ground surface 41 closely adjacent the post 44. The support arm 46 is so arranged and at such height that the container 47 is at a vertical height to exceed the height of the fence 43 by which the container 47 may be initially positioned in a first position such as shown in dotted lines at 47, FIG. 5, for loading and which may be rotatedby rotation of the arm 46 and post 44 substantially 90 to a second unloading position shown in solid lines, FIGS. and 6. In this position a loading truck may be positioned with a portion thereof directly under the outlet door 56 so that the contents of the container will drop within the truckbin or receptacle when the'unloading door is opened.

The positioning of the trash receptacle or garbage can above the ground surface eliminates the problem with dogs, cats, and other animals and insects and due to the spring biasing of the closures or doors 51 and 56 maintains the container substantially sealed against the entrance of flies, and other insects.

Accordingly, the present trash receptable not only keeps away objectionable animals and insects, but eliminates odor.

Having described my invention reference should now be had to the following claims. I claim:

1. A refuse receptacle comprising an elongated upright a thrust washer disc on said pole intermediate its ends 8 and rotatably mounted within said thrust washer element;

a horizontal support arm fixed to the upper end of said pole and extending therefrom;

an elongated trash or garbage container including an endwall and a bottom wall fixedly suspended from said arm;

means bracing said container to said pole;

.. a refuse trapdoor hinged upon said bottom wall;

a filldoor hinged upon said endwall;

and a spring biased means in each door hinge mounting for automatic closing of said doors and for maintaining said doors in closed position.

2. In the refuse receptacle of claim 1, and a fence extending past said pole;

said trashcan normally positioned above said fence and swingable from a first loading position from one side of the fence to a second degree related unloading position upon the other side of the fence.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,194,900 3/1940 Helten 211-82 XR 2,216,408 10/1940 Elmer 24s 14s 2,738,941 3/1956 Laurich et al. 248- 3,325,093 6/1967 Echavarren 23243.1

ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A REFUSE RECEPTACLE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED UPRIGHT TUBE ANCHORED DOWN INTO THE GROUND; A CUP-SHAPED THRUST WASHER ELEMENT AT ITS UPPER END; A SWING POLE SUPPORTED ON AND JOURNALLED WITHIN SAID TUBE AND EXTENDING THEREABOVE; A THRUST WASHER DISC ON SAID POLE INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS AND ROTATABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID THRUST WASHER ELEMENT; A HORIZONTAL SUPPORT ARM FIXED TO THE UPPER END OF SAID POLE AND EXTENDING THEREFROM; AN ELONGATED TRASH OR GARBAGE CONTAINER INCLUDING AN ENDWALL AND A BOTTOM WALL FIXEDLY SUSPENDED FROM SAID ARM; MEANS BRACING SAID CONTAINER TO SAID POLE; A REFUSE TRAPDOOR HINGED UPON SAID BOTTOM WALL; A FILLDOOR HINGED UPON SAID ENDWALL; AND A SPRING BIASED MEANS IN EACH DOOR HINGE MOUNTING FOR AUTOMATIC CLOSING OF SAID DOORS AND FOR MAINTAINING SAID DOORS IN CLOSED POSITION. 